Gibraltar 1943 - Royal Engineers 278 Coy 703 Artisan Workers

Discussion in 'Royal Engineers' started by Inittowinit, Sep 13, 2013.

  1. Inittowinit

    Inittowinit Junior Member

    Photograph of squad including my Dad, Harry Falconer, on Gibraltar in 1943 - based there building airstrip. He left Gib Aug/Sep 1943 but the ship was fired on when leaving the harbour and they had to turn back. Does anyone have any info on a possible name for the ship. image.jpg
     
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  2. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    If your are lucky, the incident and ship may get a mention in this war diary at the National Archives - WO 166/12132 278 Company Royal Engineers 1943 Jan.-Aug.
     
  3. Inittowinit

    Inittowinit Junior Member

    Thank you. My sister has a visit planned for there shortly -I will add this to her ever increasing to do list.
     
  4. Kentish Royal Engineer

    Kentish Royal Engineer Junior Member

    Hi there,

    I've read with great interest your post about your Father being on Gibraltar in 1943 - my Grandfather was there too in the Excavator Company RE building/extending the airstrip as well. As yet, you are the first person to have written about anyone's time out there building the airstrip so I'm chuffed to hear it.

    I have my Grandfather's Army Records - he was a Driver and was on Gib from April 1942 until 25th August 1943 (arrived back in UK on 9th Sept 1943), I'm assuming he came back via Ship. He may have even been on the same ship as your father returning home, but his records do not state how he returned to the UK. Once here he then retrained into the 811 Road Construction Company and then went to North West Europe until 1946 in the 860 Mech Equipment Company and then 233 Field Company RE.

    I do have the Excavator Company's War Diary from April 1942 until August 1942 but there doesn't appear to be another War Diary for that Unit from then until August 1943, so I've drawn a bit of a blank there.

    Do you have your Father's Army Records?

    I've attached a piccy of my Grandfather out in Gibraltar for your interest.

    DriverJones2.jpg


    Debbie
     
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  5. Inittowinit

    Inittowinit Junior Member

    Hi Debbie

    Thank you for posting the photo of your grandfather. It was great to hear of someone else with an interest in Gibraltar - like you I have found very little information out there. I do have Dad's war record and he "embarked" for Gib on 16/8/42, disembarked Gib 26/8/42, disembarked UK from Gib 10/9/43 so he must have left around 1/9/43.

    My Dad, like most of the men it seems, didn't talk much about his wartime experiences but would occasionally come out with the odd story. The only ones I can remember hearing re Gib are regarding the ship he left on being fired upon and having to return straight away and about one of the apes he called Scruffy! My Mum Betty is still around aged 93 so I will have to try and get her to think of anything she can remember from that time - We call her Bettypedia because she remembers everything about our family history.

    I did find a site which had info on shipping movements but it was very frustrating to search as you are restricted to the number of searches you can do in one sitting - I will have to have another go with it.

    Dad was a joiner when he joined the Northumberland Fusiliers TA in 1933 and seemed mostly to be building Bailey bridges after war broke out so I'm not sure what he did on the airstrip. He eventually ended up in 278 Company RE. As I mentioned before, my sister will be visiting the National Archives and I will ask her to see if she can find out any more.

    About 5 years ago I visited Gibraltar while on holiday in Spain - it was obviously very different now but still a weird feeling.

    My Dad was in France and Belgium from 5/8/44 to 25/11/45.

    Thanks again for getting in touch.

    Lynne
     
  6. Kentish Royal Engineer

    Kentish Royal Engineer Junior Member

    Hi Lynne,

    Sorry I've not been on this site for some time now ...... it seems your Dad was out in Gib about the same time as my Grandfather, I do have a lovely copy of the Gibraltar Chronicle and some letters that my Grandfather wrote to my Grandmother which I may look out if you are interested, it may help your Mum remember something?

    Also have you posted a copy of his War record on here, as the members are excellent at working out the information on there.

    I've yet to thoroughly go through the War Diaries I have, but when my Grandfather went to North West Europe, it looks like he went from France through to Holland and Germany and I think the RE's job was to rebuild the roads and bridges etc, even after the war.

    Debbie
     
  7. Inittowinit

    Inittowinit Junior Member

    Hi Debbie

    I too have been distracted elsewhere - researching a great uncle who died at the Somme. I have asked my mother if she can recall anything re Gibraltar but she can't unfortunately apart from what we originally discussed. She dug out a couple of telegrams (which weren't very informative) and the attached programme from a Christmas Pantomime (I will post this on RAMC part of forum if there is one). I would be very interested in anything you have relevant from that time. Lynne
     

    Attached Files:

  8. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    Lynne, I am not sure if this is of anything more than of minor interest to you but 'La Alameda' is Gibraltar's botanic gardens and has been since 1816. Most people who have spent some time in Gib, including service men and women would have been familiar with it.

    The British Military Hospital (as it was known in 1942), where the 'Babes in Alameda' pantomime was performed, has not been a hospital since 2008 when conversion work began to make it fit for residential use.

    Link to website page about Alameda botanic gardens:
    http://www.gibraltargardens.gi/

    Link to the Wikipedia article about the Military / Naval Hospital, Gibraltar:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Naval_Hospital_Gibraltar

    They seem to have had an entertaining evening at the pantomime!
     
  9. Matthew roberts

    Matthew roberts New Member

    Hi my dad was at Gibraltar was in 170th tunnelling company, Henry roberts can only make out on records 1942 till 31/8/43 , while there and blasting out they found more caves in St Michael's cave the lower 1s that you can see , also embassy duty tangiers, 2nd from left , Christmas day 1942, embassy roof
     

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